Post/Author/DateTime	Post
paulb104 01-21-08, 06:41 PM	MM, page 7, says: Level Adjustment: This line is included in the entries of creatures suitable for use as player characters or as cohorts (usually creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 3 and possessing opposable thumbs). Add this number to the creature’s total Hit Dice, including class levels, to get the creature’s effective character level (ECL). A character’s ECL affects the experience the character earns, the amount of experience the character must have before gaining a new level, and the character’s starting equipment. Genie, Djinni, is LA +6, whereas Jann, the same species is LA +5 but has the listing "Jann as Characters". So why do some races/monsters have a LA and a section "xxx As Characters" and some do not?
HernetheHunter 01-22-08, 01:55 AM	I believe I read somewhere that LA without an "As Character" section or without advancement as character class meant they were intended as cohorts only. I'll have to double check that but pretty sure that's what it was.
paulb104 01-22-08, 02:27 AM	I believe I read somewhere that LA without an "As Character" section or without advancement as character class meant they were intended as cohorts only. I'll have to double check that but pretty sure that's what it was. Oh, how I wish it was that simple... A creature that could be a cohort would have the listing read: Level Adjustment: +x (cohort)
IceFractal 01-22-08, 03:14 AM	Any creature with a LA is playable as a PC (with DM approval), unless it has the (cohort) tag. The "X as a Character" sections are just there as a convenience on the more commonly played creatures. However, it's pretty easy to calculate that information yourself. The hit dice, special abilities, bonus feats, and racial skill bonuses are already listed, you just need to calculate the stat adjustments. Subtract 10 from each even stat, 11 from each odd stat, and you're set.
runestar 01-23-08, 08:11 AM	My guess is that those with said tag are what the designed deemed to be suitable for "beginners" (no offense to anyone) to use as PCs. For instance, take the OP's example of the janni. Their special abilities are pretty straightforward, consisting of stat bonuses, misc resistances, a few simple SLAs usable a limited no.of times each day, and the like. A player opting to play a janni PC would have little trouble figuring out how to play a janni to its maximum effectiveness and get his money's worth for the costly ECL he has paid. Now look at the djinn. It might seem a tad trickier to play as it has invis at-will, and 2 SLAs which require quite a lot of in-depth game knowledge to use properly (major creation and persistent image), and the former appears potentially game-breaking if the PC really knows what he is doing. Thus, a less experienced player without intimate knowledge of how to "milk the djinni for all it is worth" may find it underwhelming for its ECL, and as a result, be too weak. Just my 2 cents...:P